A$AP Ferg may hail from a block in Harlem notoriously known as "Hungry Ham (Hamilton Heights)," but that never completely defined him. Whether it be launching clothing and jewelry lines or attending art school, he constantly bobbed and weaved past expectations. As a rapper, unpredictability remains his only calling card. The next member of the A$AP Mob collective to have a solo project, he can slip from gruff, gritty rhymes to soaring singing, and he does so seamlessly. On his A$AP Worldwide released mixtape, Trap Lord, he's got his own musical domain on lock.

“Ferg's debut [mixtape] will not sound like anything that's out in the music industry right now,” assures A$AP Worldwide co-owner, A$AP Yams.

Hip-hop surrounded Ferg from childhood. His father Darold Ferguson owned a Harlem boutique and printed shirts and logos for record labels including Bad Boy Records and luminaries such as Teddy Riley, Heavy D, Bell Biv DeVoe, and more. Even though he immersed himself in music, the younger Ferg pursued fashion at first. Launching Devoni Clothing in 2005, he designed and distributed high-end belts worn by the likes of Chris Brown, Swizz Beatz, and Diggy Simmons. Eventually, his hustle, creativity, and business acumen extended to music.

"Trapping means hustling," he explains. "I went from painting to making clothes to rapping. I always put myself into everything I do one hundred percent. It doesn't matter what I'm working on. I want to perfect everything I do. Success is the only option. They call me ‘Trap Lord’ because my hustle game is impeccable."

Friends since high school, A$AP Rocky recognized that "impeccable hustle game" and pushed Ferg to get behind the mic as much as possible. In 2010, they teamed up for the viral hits "Get High," "Kissin' Pink," and explosive "Ghetto Symphony" from Rocky's chart-topping major label 2013 debut LONG.LIVE.A$AP.